How to Find the Total Size of a Folder

Ever wonder where your hard drive space went? While a quick glance at your files is helpful it rarely reveals the full picture. Hidden data can quickly clutter your system so it’s important to stay on top of the situation. We have compiled the best methods for both point-and-click users and terminal users. Follow this guide to discover the total footprint of any folder across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Windows

Method 1 – File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer from your task bar or press the keys Win + E.
2. Right-click your target folder and select Properties.

   

3. Under the General tab, look for Size and Size on disk.
   • Size: The actual sum of the data.
   • Size on disk: The actual physical space being occupied (this accounts for file system overhead and compression).

     

Method 2 – Command Prompt

1. Open the “Command Prompt” by searching it within the Windows’s Search Bar.

   

2. Find the necessary path you need and use the command dir /s "C:\Program Files”. In this example, the path “C:\Program Files” will be changed here to the path you require.
3. The command will scan all files in the folder and provide an output indicating the total files and size.

   

Linux

Use the following command to get a human-readable total of a folder and its subfolders du -sh /path/to/folder. In this example /var/ was used. You can find more information in the du command manual pages.

• s Summary (prevents a massive list of every single file).
• h Human-readable (converts bytes to KB, MB, or GB).

  

MacOS

Method 1 – The “Get Info” Inspector

1. Select a folder in Finder.
2. Press Command (⌘) + I once the item is selected. 
3. The Size will be displayed in the top right of the info panel.

   

Method 2 – Finder Column View

In addition to the manual check, if you want to see sizes automatically as you browse, you can simply press Command + J while inside a folder. From there, be sure to check the box for “Calculate all sizes.” Finder will now populate the “Size” column for folders as well as individual files, consequently giving you a real-time view of your storage usage.

— Written by Pascal Suissa